Food
37 Memorial Day Recipes (Mains, Sides, Desserts, and Drinks)
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon
Memorial Day weekend is the soft launch of summer. The group chat comes to life, the grill gets dusted off, and meals migrate outdoors. These 37 Memorial Day recipes—including cheesy brats, classic coleslaw, and no-bake cheesecake bars—are built for easy hosting, with everything you need for a backyard barbecue or casual cookout. Consider this your long-weekend game plan for starting the season right, with all the burgers, potato salad, and cobbler you could ever want. And don’t forget the watermelon wedges.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua1/37 Super-Citrusy Carne Asada
Doused in a lime-garlic-cilantro dressing, this grilled steak comes out juicy, bright, and full of flavor. Slice it thinly and serve with warm tortillas for a Memorial Day grilling recipe that’ll steal the show.
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Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown JR, Food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Christina Allen3/37 Cheesy Brats With Celery-Pickle Relish
Think ballpark, but better: snappy brats (or classic hot dogs) with melty cheddar and a punchy celery-pickle relish that cuts through the richness and keeps every bite balanced.
Grilled Flatfish With Spoon Sauce
Flaky fish with a punchy herb sauce keeps things fresh and vibrant along richer BBQ fare. This would be great with corn on the cob or grilled zucchini.
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Photo Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco, prop styling by Emily Eisen5/37 Easiest-Ever Grilled Veggie Burgers
Grilling burgers on Memorial Day weekend just feels right. For a vegetarian option, this recipe delivers: hearty, flavorful veggie burgers that hold together on the grill.
Sprite-Grilled Chicken Skewers
Got Sprite? Add it to a garlicky fish sauce marinade for chicken. It brings a subtle sweetness and citrusy lift. Let guests take a guess at the secret ingredient while they go back for seconds. Use the rest of the bottle to make a lemony 7UP cake.
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Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kelsi Windmiller11/37 Sheet-Pan Chicken Souvlaki
No grill? No problem. This sheet-pan souvlaki brings backyard energy indoors, with chicken skewers and a fresh tomato-feta salad, making it ideal when the weather, or your setup, doesn’t cooperate.
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Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks13/37 Adobo Mushroom Tacos
All you need is a hot oven to cook these spiced mushrooms to golden-brown perfection—but if you’d rather take things outside, they work just as well on a grill pan. Pile them into tortillas with your favorite taco toppings for a winning vegetarian cookout recipe.
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
Set it in the morning and forget about it until your kitchen smells like a barbecue joint. Saucy, tender pulled pork is made for piling onto soft buns—and feeding a hungry Memorial Day crowd.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro19/37 Marinated Mozzarella and Peppadew Peppers
This low-lift appetizer combines pearl mozzarella and peppadew peppers in a garlicky, vinegary marinade. Make it ahead and let the flavors deepen—it only gets better with time.
Green Bean and Farro Picnic Salad
With a bright vinaigrette, pickled peppers, and two types of cheese (mozzarella and Parmesan), this make-ahead grain salad is anything but boring. It pulls double duty as a side or vegetarian main—and only improves as it sits.
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Laura Murray25/37 BA’s Best Caprese Salad
Caprese salad screams summer, so it only feels right to kick off the season with the timeless trio of tomatoes (a combo of cherry tomatoes and heirlooms is nice), mozzarella, and basil. A drizzle of olive oil, plus flaky salt and black pepper, is all it takes to let the ingredients shine.
Grilled Summer Salad With Creamy Miso Dressing
The grill isn’t just for meat and fish. Here, corn and shishitos get a nice char before getting tossed into a bright, summery salad with an umami miso dressing.
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Photograph by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie Yeh29/37 Ginger-Lime No-Bake Cheesecake Bars
This zippy no-bake dessert comes together with ease—just be sure to give each layer time to set in the freezer before adding the next.
Earl Grey–Chocolate Cupcakes With Blackberry Frosting
Floral Earl Grey and rich chocolate unite in these tender cupcakes, topped with a vibrant blackberry frosting. An elegant way to elevate cupcakes for a Memorial Day dessert spread.
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Photograph by Peden + Munk, food styling by Adriana Paschen, prop styling by Ceci Garcia31/37 Blueberry Cobbler
Easier than pie but just as satisfying, this cobbler pairs bubbling blueberries with a golden, cakey topping. Lean into summer by serving each portion with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream.
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Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime33/37 Rum-Soaked Fruit and Coconut Crisp Sundaes
Boozy fruit, coconut-almond crunch, cold ice cream—this sundae hits all the right notes for a playful, summery Memorial Day dessert. Plus, it’s gluten-free.
Salty Grapefruit Refresher
Tart, lightly salted, and endlessly sippable. Make this if you want a refreshing non-alcoholic drink that isn’t too sweet.
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Photograph by Peden + Munk, food styling by Adriana Paschen, prop styling by Ceci Garcia35/37 One-Bottle Vermouth Sangria
Low effort, high payoff—exactly what your holiday weekend calls for. A bottle of sweet vermouth does most of the work here; just add citrus juice, club soda, and fresh fruit, and you’ve got a crowd-pleasing sangria.
Phoebe Fry is a Brooklyn-based food writer, cook, and illustrator. She’s worked in kitchens in Ireland, Italy, and NYC, and she currently writes The Dish on Substack. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Wine Enthusiast, and more. You’ll most often find her haunting the cookbook section of her local … Read More
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